


The Most Dangerous Game

by kaybee988



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: BAMF Peter Parker, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, I love supernatural and the ep the benders, Kidnapped Peter Parker, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, bon appétit, throw in irondad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:40:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29971992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaybee988/pseuds/kaybee988
Summary: It was a typical Tuesday night until Peter woke up in a cage.In the middle of nowhere.Next to the missing woman that's been on the news.__Or a Benders AU featuring Irondad
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 78
Collections: 2021 Irondad Sprint Event





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I imagined the time period between hoco and IW but other than that, canon is generally ignored.
> 
> Prompts used (in the vaguest sense): cracked, plummet, double vision
> 
> Elane is the true MVP for organizing this and being an amazing beta <3 [itsreallylaterrightnow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsreallylaterightnow/pseuds/itsreallylaterightnow)

Peter loved nights like this. May had always taught him to be appreciative when Tony treated him to a fancy dinner in Manhattan, but most of the time he wished he was right here. His favorite hole-in-the-wall pizza joint that he and Ben visited frequently.

He wasn’t sure if Tony actually enjoyed the greasy pizza, but he was relieved when he hadn’t objected to his suggestion for dinner. 

“Thanks for dinner, Mr. Stark,” he mumbles, inhaling his 5th slice.

“Pete, I told you a million times, you don’t have to say thank you every time I buy you a meal,” says Tony, grabbing a slice of his pineapple pizza, ignoring Peter’s slightly disgusted look. 

“No judging. This is a judge free zone.”

Peter laughs, putting up his hands in surrender.

“Pepper’s cravings have been off the charts, but this one wasn’t bad. She made me promise to bring home a whole extra pie.”

Peter glances over at Tony, always noticing the glow that seemed to appear every time he talked about Pepper and baby Stark. 

“You guys are gonna be the coolest parents ever. Little Peter is gonna be so lucky.”

“What if it’s a girl, huh?

“Penny? I’m a fan of the alliteration but Stark would work too,” Peter jokes.

Tony chuckles. “I’ll forward your suggestions on to the missus.”

Tony put up a strong front, but Peter always saw right through it. He always got nervous talking about the baby. The quickened heart rate, the foot tapping…Peter could hear it all.

At first, Peter couldn’t understand why Tony was so nervous. After months of getting to know him, Tony was like a big kid himself. Tony never talked about his own father much and always changed the subject whenever Peter brought it up.  
  
Peter had been curious about Howard ever since Tony had mentioned him on the ferry and FRIDAY had helped him put together what Tony’s childhood was like. Needless to say, Peter wasn’t his biggest fan. 

“You got decathlon practice tomorrow right?”

“Yeah, Michelle’s been killing us,” Peter confesses, still chewing on his last few bites.

“Slavedriver, huh?”

“She’s just…intense but it’s good. I like it,” Peter nods.

Tony couldn’t stop smirking. “Yeah I bet you do.”

“Mr. Stark! It’s not like that. I’m pretty sure she only tolerates me.”

“Are we talking about you and Michelle or me and Pepper?”

“Funny,” Peter deadpans.

Tony laughs, slinging his arm around Peter’s shoulders. “It’ll be fine, Pete.”

They settled into a comfortable silence letting the voice of the newscaster fill the air.

_“We have another missing person from Queens. Beverly Simms, 35, was reported missing two days ago when she failed to report for work. She is the second person confirmed missing in the past week. Jack Harris, 29, was reported missing by his girlfriend after he didn’t return home after reportedly going to the drug store. Authorities are looking for any information the public may have. Please contact the NYPD if you have any information you think would aid the police in their investigation of Beverly Simms or Jack Harris.”_

_“In other news…”_

Tony beats Peter to the punch. “Don’t even think about it Pete.”

“But Mr. Stark, I know it’s not Avenger level stuff, but this is friendly neighborhood Spider-Man level stuff,” Peter urges.

“What? Are you a detective now? Sounds like police business, bud. Let them handle it. Besides, it’s a school night and you don’t want to let down your team captain.”

Peter gives a half smile for the half joke. 

“Alright, let’s pack it in then. You wanna wait outside for Happy? He should be here in a few minutes. I’ll go settle this,” says Tony, holding up the paper bill.

Peter nods, zipping up his sweatshirt and heading outside.

There was a slight chill in the air with the beginnings of winter starting to creep in. Peter loved this time of the year. The holidays were quickly approaching and the excitement in the air was electrifying. Christmas decorations were already full on display even though Halloween was just last weekend. Thanksgiving was always Peter’s favorite holiday though. Especially now, it’s the one holiday where he fully satisfies his appetite.

A loud clang interrupts Peter’s thoughts. His spidey sense immediately goes off - the hairs on his neck going rigid. 

He looks back to see that Tony is still third in line, unaware of the situation developing outside. Without another thought, Peter makes his way towards the direction of the sound and stops at the nearby alley.

_Of course it had to be the one with no street lights_

Peter zeroes in on the noise coming from behind the dumpster. Not seeing anyone else in the alley, he pushes the heavy dumpster away from the wall, fighting stance at the ready. 

_MEOW_

Peter lets out a laugh, releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Sorry little guy.”

The cat didn’t seem to accept Peter’s apology as it continued to howl and scurries out toward the street.

However, Peter’s spidey sense remains.

He smells the chloroform before he hears the footsteps approaching from behind.

Peter steadies himself before whipping his leg around, knocking the chloroform rag from the man’s hand. The man immediately used his other arm to pin Peter up against the concrete wall of the pizza place, momentarily knocking the air out of him.

Peter notices the man’s greasy features and gold tooth.

_Wow, I hope I can knock it out like in Home Alone_

Peter kicks the man right in the gut, forcing him backwards. He lands on his back after tripping on an empty beer bottle.

“Really not cool man,” Peter mutters, shaking his head.

Then, he hears the deep breathing of the assailant coming up behind him. 

Peter turns, but he barely has a chance to glance at the second offender before the baseball bat makes contact with the left side of his head.

_CRACK._

He hits the ground.

The pain was blinding. Peter takes a deep breath trying to keep the nausea at bay.

The only distinguishing features he can make out of the second man that hit him is the steel color of his eyes. 

“Man, get up and knock him out already.”

Peter tries to stand, his eyes swimming as a result of the hit to his head.

The sweet chemical odor filled his mouth and nostrils and Peter could feel himself start to weaken, but it wasn’t enough to completely sedate him.   
  
“We got ourselves a fighter here. He’s gonna be fun.”

_CRACK._

**********

After leaving a generous tip, Tony finally exits the restaurant carrying the extra pie for Pepper.

“Hey Pete, what do you think about…”

The kid was nowhere to be seen.

Tony furrows his brows in confusion. It wasn’t like the kid to run off, especially knowing Tony was so close.

His black car suddenly pulls into view, parking a few feet from Tony.

Happy steps out and immediately notices Peter’s absence.

“Where’s the kid?”

“That’s a good question. I told him to wait here while I paid. Couldn’t have been a few minutes ago,” explains Tony.

Taking a quick look around, most of the shops were about to close up, but Tony doubted Peter had much interest in more food or a bail bond shop. 

Tony reaches into his coat pocket for his glasses and waits for the HUD to appear.

“FRIDAY, trace Peter’s phone.”

“Good evening to you too, boss. Peter is approximately 50 yards to your left.”

Tony and Happy immediately set off toward the alley, Happy highlighting the way with the Maglite he grabbed from the car.

“Peter!” yells Tony.

FRIDAY was quickly taking stock of everything in the alley. When she highlights the spatter on the wall Tony felt his heart stop.

Blood.

Fresh blood.

There was clear evidence of a scuffle and laying right next to a pool of blood on the ground was Peter’s phone.


	2. Chapter Two

_Ow._

Peter brings his hand up to his forehead in an attempt to ease his raging migraine. 

His eyes squin in confusion when his fingers came away stained red and he feels dried, crusted blood in his matted hair.

Then he remembers.

The bat.

The men.

and Mr. Stark!

Peter sits up in shock, surprised when his head collides with metal.

A cage.

_Where am I?_

The cage was barely big enough for Peter to sit comfortably. His legs unable to sit straight and the top of his head just grazes the surface.

Peter guessed he was in some type of a barn. Bales of hay were scattered everywhere and farm tools were strewn about on the floor.

He pushes on the door with his feet but it wouldn’t budge.

 _I must be more out of it than I thought._

A voice startles Peter out of his thoughts.

“Hey.”

Peter glances to his left and sees a woman in an identical cage to his own.

“Hey…you’re the woman I’ve seen on TV. You’re missing.”

“Yeah, well, my guess is now so are you.”

“I’m Peter.”

“Beverly.”

“Do you know who took us?”

Beverly shakes her head. “I’ve only seen two of them so far. Just when they come to give me food about once a day.”

Peter may have a concussion, but he was still able to hear the footsteps approaching from outside.

The greasy man enters the barn carrying what looked and smelled like a turkey sandwich.

He opens up a generator box attached to a pole in the middle of the barn.

Beverly’s cage door unlocks with a buzz and the man motions for her to back up as he slides the food in and shuts the door without saying a word.

Peter’s had enough of this. “It’s gonna be okay. We’re getting out of here.”

“Yeah? What’s your plan kid?”

Peter attempts to reposition himself in his cage and pushes on the door with all his strength.

Nothing.

He crinkles his brows in frustration as he takes a closer look at his new prison. The metal was still shining like new, in contrast with everything else. 

He felt the hairs on his arm stand on edge as his body and brain came to the conclusion at the same time.

Vibranium.

_Ok, this situation just get 10x worse._

Beverly smiles at Peter sympathetically. “Nice try, Peter.”

Peter sits back in his cage, resting his throbbing head on the cool metal.

“Hey, we can always hope an Avenger shows up,” shrugs Beverly.

_Any time now please._

**********

Tony was going to lose his mind.

It’s been three days since Peter disappeared and nothing. No ransom demands. No leads. 

May had filed a police report right away, but they didn’t have any leads either. Just added him to a list of missing juveniles. 

Rhodey had been on the case too and he assured Tony no new guests had checked in to the Raft. So there was a bright spot.

“Tony, are you still down here?”

Tony sighs, wiping at his tired eyes. “Affirmative Pep.”

Pepper had traded in her high heels for flats and sneakers when she hit her second trimester. She worried it would make her look less demanding in the office, but Tony thought the opposite. He assured her now she could just be a silent killer. 

He hears the lab door open and in minutes her arms wrap around him from behind.

“It’s almost 2 AM Tony. At least try to get some sleep,” says Pepper softly.

“How can I sleep at all Pep? The kid is out there somewhere, badly injured for all we know.”

“And you will find him.” Pepper grabs Tony’s chin and forces him to look at her. “But not when you can barely stay awake yourself.”

Tony concedes, but sets a reminder for FRIDAY to wake him up in a few hours.

He takes Pepper’s hand as they take the elevator up to the penthouse.

“What are you doing up at this hour?” asks Tony on the way to their bedroom.

“Oh, this little one is already restless. Can’t sit still just like her daddy.”

Tony stops in his tracks. “Her?”

They had decided not to find out the sex of the baby. This whole thing was a bit of a surprise so why not keep it that way till the end?

Pepper nods and smiles, her eyes softening. “I think so. My mother knew I was a girl too.”

Tony smiles. 

A girl.

“Your number one baby name still works too,” says Pepper. “Morgan.”

Tony embraces his wife and plants a light kiss to her temple as they both relax in bed. Pepper naturally slides in next to Tony and his arm drapes over her as his other hand rubs her growing belly.

_I’m having a girl._

Thoughts of pink, princesses and parties fill his head and for once, that overpowering sense of anxiety was not present.

Tony had been so consumed these past few months over not repeating Howard’s A+ parenting skills, he hadn’t realized he had already shown what kind of father he would be. 

With Peter.

He hears Pepper’s breathing even out beside him. Once she begins snoring lightly, he slowly untangles himself from her, pulling the covers up to her chest.

“FRIDAY,” he calls, entering the lab.

“Pull up that security camera footage again. Let me see the other side of the alley.”

“Glad you got some sleep, boss.”

“FRI. The footage.’

“Yes, sir,” says FRIDAY, doing her best to sound sheepish.

The computer screens came to life with the same footage Tony had been dissecting for days.

Minutes before he and Happy appear in the alley, a trailer is shown coming out the other end with no plates. Of course the camera across the street wasn’t able to get a shot of who was driving either.

Tony focuses his attention to a news clip of the woman who had gone missing a few days before Peter. The footage was basically the same. Police had tracked her whereabouts until 8 pm that night where a security camera shows her disappearing into an alley. He hadn’t thought they were connected before, but just maybe - 

“FRIDAY, get me a view of that alley from 46th street. Starting at 8 o’clock.”

A new screen pops up in front of him and his heart stops.

The same damn RV.

A flurry of adrenaline bursts through him.

“FRI, follow the RV. Traffic cams. Social media. Drones. Whatever you gotta do to tell me where it is now.”

**********

Peter awoke with a start as he heard the now all too familiar buzz of the cage door unlocking.

But it’s not his. 

Beverly sits back in her cage, expecting the greasy man to barge in any second.

The captives sit in a few beats of tense silence and anticipation before Beverly starts inching forward.

Peter’s spider sense immediately starts going off. “Uh, Beverly, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

She looks at Peter like he’s grown three heads. “What? Don’t you want to get rescued?”

She makes her way to Peter’s cage and tries to pull it open but it refuses.

“Try the fuse box,” suggests Peter.

The fuse box is old and rusty and makes far too much noise for Peter or Beverly’s liking.

“They must use a key. The only thing in here is a slot for it.”

Peter nods, settling back into his cage, the energy fading from his body. Beverly had been right about only getting fed once a day and his metabolism was burning with hunger. 

The wound on his head had finally healed, but the concussion lingered.

“Hey, Peter. I’m gonna go get help okay. There must be a road or a store nearby.”

Peter shakes his head, immediately regretting it. “Beverly, you don’t know that. This could be a trap.”

“Look, kid you don’t look so hot and this could be our lucky break.”

_There’s no such thing as luck. Especially when I’m around._

“See ya Peter.”

“No, wait! Beverly!” shouts Peter hopelessly.

The barn door sways in the wind a few moments before it slams shut.

Dread fills Peter’s veins.

“Hey!” he shouts. “You don’t have to do this! Please!”

Peter’s heart beats frantically as he desperately tries to break any part of his cage, but the metal holds firm.

His vision doubles from all the sudden movement and he can almost feel that turkey sandwich again, waiting to come back up.

It takes a few swallows to keep the nausea at bay, burning his dry throat at the same time.

A scream fills the night air as his vision fades to black.


	3. Chapter Three

Tony was losing his mind.

He thought he would feel some sense of relief after finding confirmation that something or someone took Peter, but it only brought more questions.

How badly was he injured? Have they realized he’s Spider-Man yet? 

“Location acquired, boss.”

Tony nearly spits out his coffee trying to respond to the AI. “Where is he FRI?”

“I tracked the RV to a remote farm in the Catskills. Sending you the coordinates now.”

Tony thought his nanotechnology was pretty fast, but it seems to take ages before the suit completely encapsulates him. 

“Call Rhodey and the local authorities. Tell them I’m already en route.”

_I’m coming, Pete._

**********

Peter doesn’t remember falling asleep, but he wakes up to the buzz of his own cage door unlocking. 

The barn creaks and moans as the wind howls through the thin slats of wood. Peter shivers and wraps his sweatshirt even tighter around his upper body. The air had definitely turned crisper and colder in the last few days.

Peter knew he hadn’t been eating enough to satisfy his new metabolism, however for the first time the hunger pains have disappeared. 

It’s a struggle to unfurl himself from his contorted sleeping position and everything just feels sluggish.

_Oh my god. Am I going into hibernation?_

After the bite, Peter had googled as much as he could about spiders. He always thought hibernation was just a prolonged form of sleep, but they actually just depress their heart rate and metabolism.

How was he supposed to run for his life when he could feel his body literally shutting down?

_No, no, no this is not good._

Peter forces himself into a sitting position and crawls out of the cage. 

Muscles he hasn’t been able to fully stretch in days ache as he stands, rubbing his hands together, trying to create some type of heat.

He wobbles for a moment, a bit unsteady on his feet. His head still feels cloudy, but he’s grateful the nausea has seemed to pass.

Peter opens the barn door ever so slowly, though he’s sure there are eyes on him already.

For the first time he’s able to get a look at his surroundings.

Trees. Nothing but trees.

The silence was also unsettling. He was used to hearing the sounds of the city every time he stepped outside.

Peter shivers again and walks back toward the center of the barn. What he wouldn’t give for his web shooters right now. Or a pizza.

_Think, Peter. Think_

He takes a quick inventory of what was at his disposal, which wasn’t much.

He paces around the barn until his foot hits something underneath the hay.

He quickly wipes away the straw and smiles at the sight of the pitchfork. The side prongs were rusted and chipped, but the middle seemed good and sturdy.

Peter was still able to rip off the side prongs with relative ease. He aims and launches the makeshift spear into a wooden support beam, satisfied when it holds firm.

Feeling a bit more prepared with his makeshift weapon, Peter approaches the door again, and runs.

Peter heads straight to the densest part of the surrounding forest, hoping it will provide him more protection.

He doesn’t know how far he runs. His legs and lungs are burning and he can feel his throat ache and scratch with every breath.

“He went this way!”

Peter wasn’t sure if he heard them because they were close or if it was his super hearing.

A bullet whizzes by his head, embedding itself into the tree he was resting on.

_Nope, they’re definitely close._

Peter takes off running.

But not soon enough.

Pain explodes in Peter’s calf as the bullet tears through layers of skin and muscle, sending him tumbling onto the cold ground.

“I got him!”

_Get up Peter. GET. UP._

Now using the pitchfork as more of a support than protection, Peter limps towards the closest cluster of trees.

He just needs to rest.

He stops at the base of a tall maple with a decent amount of foliage left, tucks the pitchfork through his belt loops on his jeans, and begins to climb.

His stickiness is doing most of the work, but his muscles still sting from days of being locked up for so long. He has to resist the urge to cry out every time his injured leg hits the bark.

Once he’s high enough, he swings his good leg on to a thick branch and points the spear down below, ready to strike.

The hillbillies soon appear under the tree, following Peter’s tracks.

“Come on kid! Come out and play,” sings the steel-eyed one.

The greasy man readjusts his rifle. “Where’d he go Jared?”

“You sure you got him?”

“I’m sure Lee.”

Peter doesn’t dare move a muscle. His left leg still throbs painfully even with the limited weight he puts on it. 

Just when he thinks his good leg is about to give out too, the hunters decide to move on.

Peter carefully slides down to sit on the branch and inspect his injured leg. His healing has already started, albeit slower than usual. 

Peter looks for an exit wound he realizes with dread that there isn’t one.

He takes a few deep breaths and sticks the pitchfork handle back in between his teeth.

Moving his hands over the wound, he can feel where the bullet sits in the middle of his calf.

_1, 2…_

He sticks his finger inside the semi-closed wound, desperately trying to remove the bullet as soon as possible.

He tries to control his breathing through his nose as he can hear his teeth cracking on the wooden handle.

Finally, he hits metal and glides the slug out of his body.

Deep breaths turn into hacking coughs as he shoves his mouth into the crook of his elbow to be as silent as possible.

Peter had hoped to make it back to civilization before nightfall, but the sun was already beginning to set. The temperature dropping by the minute.

Maybe he could use the cover of night, but he wouldn’t put it past these guys to have some type of night vision. 

Deciding to let his leg heal a bit more, he settles into the crook of the tree and tries to rest.

Realizing what he must look like, he grins.

_Maybe Katniss had the right idea._

**********

“More power FRIDAY!”

Tony barrels through the sky, getting closer and closer to the blinking location on his GPS.

_Twenty miles…_

_Ten miles…_

“FRI call May Parker.”

May’s panicked voice fills the inside of helmet. “Tony? What’s going on? Did you find him?” 

“Not yet. But I’m close, May. Are you at the Tower yet?”

“Happy just pulled up.”

“Good good. As soon as I get him we’ll be on our way back.”

May pauses trying to make her voice steadier than she feels. “Please get him, Tony.”

“I will, May,” sighs Tony.

_There’s not another option._

“Tony, you be careful too.”

Now, it’s Tony’s turn to pause. “See you soon.”

The call ends and his HUD suddenly goes black.

“FRIDAY!” Tony shouts with no response.

The nanobots start migrating back into the arc reactor and Tony’s heart stops as he realizes he has nothing to stop him from plummeting to the earth.

Cradling his knees, he braces himself for impact with the ground.

_POP_

“Shit.”

Tony moans as he gingerly touches his left shoulder.

“Ah shit, shit shit.”

_Definitely dislocated._

He stays on the ground a minute, trying to collect his thoughts and feel for any other injuries.

Branches and thorns managed to snag his shirt and face on the way down, but nothing else seems to be broken.

If he had to guess he was probably within five miles of Peter’s location. 

Tony carefully removes his outer short sleeve shirt leaving him only in his henley. He wraps it around his torso and injured shoulder in a makeshift sling, tying it off with his teeth

He pulls his phone out of his pants pocket. It managed to survive the fall but it refused to turn on.

He must be in some type of dead zone but it was unlike anything Tony had ever seen. Knocking out cell reception is one thing, but the power to his suit too?

Tony didn’t have time to wonder about it now. 

The sun was setting and Peter was running out of time.

He heads off in the direction he was heading before he was so rudely interrupted.

“Just hold on, Pete.”


	4. Chapter Four

Tony spends an hour stumbling through the forest in the dark before he hears voices.

“Lee, we’ve been out here for hours. Can’t we go back?”

“You wanna risk leaving the kid out here? If you had made it a kill shot this would be over already.”

Tony’s blood goes cold.

Kid.

Kill shot.

Peter.

He hears them approaching from the left as he tries to move behind the tree trunk. 

_SNAP_

Tony looks up to see two pairs of goggles reflecting in the moonlight staring straight at him.

_Ah, shit again_

Tony takes off in a dead sprint just as a bullet flies past his head.

“Who the hell is that?”

“We’re gonna have two trophies tonight.”

_Who the fuck are these people?_

Tony is trying to navigate the uneven terrain, but he fails to see the skinny tree before it collides painfully with his dislocated shoulder.

White hot pain shoots through Tony’s entire arm, eliciting a sharp yell and bringing him to his knees. 

Struggling to get back on his feet, he feels the hard barrel of a rifle hit him square in the back.

The hunters surround him, removing their night vision goggles.

Jared brings out a flashlight and shines it right in Tony’s eyes, blinding him,

“Holy shit Lee! It’s Tony Stark.”

“No shit,” laughs Lee, from behind Tony. “What’s a billionaire doing all the way out here?”

“You took something of mine,” replies Tony, gritting his teeth.

This time Jared laughs out loud. 

“Oh yeah Iron Man? Which one? The kid or the bitch?” Lee asks, nudging Tony with his gun.  
Tony stares daggers at Jared, wanting nothing more than to tear him to pieces. He starts biting the inside of his cheek until he tastes blood.

“The kid.”

Jared smiles, inching closer to Tony. “He’s a fighter that one. A little younger than we usually like, but one look at that face and we couldn’t resist. No risk, no reward.”

Tony lands a right hook, connecting with Jared’s cheekbone.

He only gets one hit before pain explodes at the base of his skull, sending him to the ground.

He looks up to see the butt of Lee’s gun threatening to hit him again.

Jared stands, massaging his cheek. “You’ll pay for that one.”

Lee keeps Tony on his back as Jared presses his boot on Tony’s wrapped shoulder.

Tony couldn’t help the primal scream that passed through his lips.

“You son of a bitch. What kind of crazy person hunts people, huh? Why?”

Jared chuckles. “Because it’s fun.”

“Any last words Tony Stark?”

Tony remains silent.

_I’m sorry, Pep._

**********

Sitting still for so long, Peter couldn’t tell if he was beginning to feel the effects of hibernation or hypothermia. 

He had just fallen into a light sleep when he heard a yell.

_Mr. Stark? Great, now i’m getting delusional._

There it is again.

He sits up straighter in the tree.

“You son of a bitch.”

_That is Mr. Stark!_

Peter carefully scurries back down the tree. His leg was still tender, but thankfully not as extreme as before. 

Peter looks around, trying to pinpoint the direction of the voices. He zeroes in on the sound of a rifle being pumped and starts heading North. 

It only takes him a few minutes to find the source.

Mr. Stark on his back being held at gunpoint by the crazy yahoos.

“Any last words?”

Peter chokes up on his spear and moves out into the moonlight. 

“Hey, Asshat!”

Jared and Lee look up just as the spear pierces Lee’s upper thigh.

He immediately goes down, squirming, and yelling in pain. 

Tony knocks James down with a sweep of his leg, scattering the gun a few feet away.

They both begin to wrestle on the ground, punching and kicking.

Peter runs as fast as he can and yanks James off Tony.

He only sees the glint of the dagger before it comes towards him.

For a few seconds, he felt nothing, then all he could feel was the burning, searing pain in his abdomen.

He hears his skin tear as James moves the knife _in, out, in, out._

He thinks he heard Tony yell something and James dropped, dead weight on his body.

Tony pushes him off and takes his face in his hands.

“No, no, no, c’mon Pete.”

Tony is panicking.

Tony Stark doesn’t panic.

Peter feels blood oozing out of the wounds. 

Faster.

and faster.

and faster.

Then pressure.

Tony’s face comes back into view, bloody hands pushing Peter’s hair out of his eyes. “Hey, it’s not even that bad alright. You’re gonna heal up just fine. We just gotta keep pressure.” 

Sleep keeps threatening to overtake Peter.

_No. Must not go to sleep. Don’t sleep. Don’t sleep_

He swallows back a mouthful of blood. “M..mist’r st…”

“I’m right here Peter. I’m not going anywhere,” soothes Tony.

His vision fades as he sees lights shining through the trees.

**********

“Tony!”

_Rhodey, thank god_

“Over here!”

Tony sighs in relief. “See kid, I told you everything was gonna be fine.”

There was no response.

Tony looks back down at Peter willing him to wake up.

“Pete…Peter!” he shouts, shaking Peter’s shoulders.

The kid is limp in his arms and Tony freezes.

Rhodey appears next to him, checking Peter’s pulse and putting more pressure on the stab wounds.

“He’s still breathing, but it’s weak. We got a funvee waiting just for you in a clearing just over that ridge. Grab his feet.”

Tony remains frozen.

Rhodey shakes his own shoulders, snapping his fingers in front of his face.“Tony. Hey Tony, you with me, man?”

Tony yelps in pain, the adrenaline long since left his body.

“Tones, what happened?” asks Rhodey.

“Nothing, had a crash landing. Popped out my shoulder.”

“Yeah, FRIDAY alerted us. Had to leave my suit and we followed you best we could in cars and then on foot. Sorry it took so long.”

“Is he gonna be ok?” Tony whispers.

“We gotta get him out of here now. You with me?”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s move.”

Rhodey calls over another soldier who grabs Peter’s feet. Tony stays by his side, pressing his now red shirt on Peter’s stomach.

They carry him past the mix of police and armed soldiers and lay him down on the backseat of the Humvee.

“Let’s go!” orders Rhodey.

It seems unbearably long before they clear the trees and Tony sees the welcome sight of the Quinjet.

And Happy.

Happy wheels the medical gurney over to the transport and looks at Tony with a grateful smile.

He knew he had built a soft spot for the kid since he made him his de facto babysitter. 

Once they’re in the air, Rhodey sets Peter up on IV’s hoping that once they get some fluids in him, his healing will speed up and take over.

“Alright Tones, let’s see that shoulder.”

Tony shakes his head, sitting on a bench next to Peter’s bed. “Not now platypus.” 

“Yes, now. Before you totally damage the nerve.”

Rhodey grabs Tony’s wrist in one hand, placing the other hand on his shoulder, stretching his arm over his knee.

“On three. One….Two…”

_POP_

“Always on two,” says Tony, with a grunt.

Rhodey smiles. “You’re welcome.” 

Tony stands up, taking Peter’s hand in his.

“He’s a strong kid.”

Tony nods. He knows that all too well.

Rhodey is called up front to the cockpit and the weight of the past few days hits Tony hard and fast.

His legs can’t support him any longer and he collapses on the metal floor and cries.

**********

_Beep….beep…beep_

For the first time in days, Peter wakes up comfortably.

He peels his eyes open and sees the familiar sight of the medical wing of Stark Tower.

The memories of the past week come flooding back to him and Peter instinctively pulls back the bed sheet to check his abdomen. The mess that was there before is gone. Two almost parallel lines are all that remain.

The sudden movement wakes Tony from his slumber on the nearby couch.

“Hey, kiddo. You’ve been sleeping for quite a while,” smiles Tony.

Peter coughs. “How…how long?” 

“A few days. Looks like you needed the rest.”

Peter shrugs, grateful to be out of the woods.

“You too,” he jokes, noticing the bags under Tony’s eyes.

“Do…do you remember what happened?” ask Tony, carefully.

Peter takes a deep breath and nods. “Most of it. They kept me in a cage and I was with Beverly, the girl on the news. They…they killed her, Mr. Stark. Hunted her.”

Peter blinks back tears threatening to fall and wipes away the remnants with the back of his hand.

“It’s ok, Pete. They’ll never hurt anyone ever again.”

Peter remembers Jared going limp on top of him.

“Did you kill him?”

Tony shakes his head slowly, almost regretfully. “No, But I can’t say I didn’t think about it.”

“I wouldn’t be sorry if you did,” admits Peter.

They sit in comfortable silence for a beat before Tony continues, picking up a Stark Pad on Peter’s bedside table.

“Rhodey got me a file on these guys. Jared and Lee Bender. Brothers. They’ve been at this game for years. Cops found evidence of missing people going as far back as 10 years.”

His mouth drops in shock.

“We pulled their financials and it looks like they had dealings with your old pal Vulture, which explains their updated high tech playground.”

“But…but they’re gone now. You got them?”

Tony nods in assurance. “We got ‘em.”

Peter lets out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“Makes you miss our usual playmates, huh? Super villains I get. People are crazy.”

“Yeah, give me an over zealous business scientist or an alien any day,” laughs Peter.

“You ready for some more visitors, bud? I know a feisty brunette who’s been dying to see you.”

Peter smiles and nods, his spirits immediately lifting at the mention of May.

Tony gives the bedrail a tap and backs away. 

Halfway to the door, he stops in his tracks.

He turns, walks briskly back to Peter’s bed and envelops the teenager in a hug. A real one.

“Don’t do that again, kid.”

“I’ll try not to,” mumbles Peter, his face smushed into Tony’s torso.

“Yeah, because you know if you go missing again, I ain’t looking for you.”

Peter wasn’t sure about a lot of things, but he knew, with absolute certainty, Tony would always have his back.

Not even acknowledging the blatant lie, Peter hugs Tony tighter.

“Alright arms of steel, let me go get that crazy Aunt of yours. You hungry? I can bring you back a sandwich.”

Peter’s stomach gurgles in protest.

“Anything but that.”

_FIN._


End file.
